A SOCIAL BRIDGE IN SENTUL:
An Experiential Place Connects People Above the Ground
The social bridge is the role of the mediator to bridge different community groups into a condensed space by removing real or imagined barriers to foster empathy and generosity of spirit.
Neoliberal market principles fuse with ethnic politics, cultural predispositions, and economic imperatives to generate a socially fragmented urban landscape where security concerns dominate and where citizens culturally, physically, and symbolically segregate themselves from others (Tedong, 2015).
The old Sentul was once rich in heritage and culture, originating from the Indian workers who worked for the railway depots. Sentul's local community was heavily influenced by the railway industry that used to be the heart of Sentul. However, in the present, the contrasting social classes and lifestyles led to gentrification in Sentul, as they tended to reshape a new image of the modern development city. These aspects cause the gap between Sentul locals and newly moved-in residents. Introverted behavior in social engagement is perceptible since there is no connection between them.
The consideration for the chosen site was to take advantage of the LRT Sentul to become a headquarters for people to engage with each other. The exploration within the existing context of public housing and LRT Sentul provides a uniqueness of social nodes between the residents and visitors, or the locals and outsiders. Creating vibrancy and learning opportunities that offer a wonderful inclusion in the lives of the communities.
The architectural typology allows the social condenser intermingling of different groups of communities to promote mutualism in Sentul. The idea of “Elevated Ground City” crossing over the borders, which tends to blur the boundaries adjacent to different programs and uses, forms a continuous space of variegated environments that connects different communities. No matter the physical boundaries on the ground in terms of fences, materiality, or drops that keep people apart, the linkage between them gives a connection opportunity to one another.
The design intention is a spatial interconnection in terms of an experiential journey that provides a continuous movement flow where people could stop and linger, and this eventually creates a borderless space-to-space.
The community garden in the low-cost housing was replaced with a new typology of spatial experience in a connecting bridge form. Splitting the existing program into a legacy metaphor to perform as a circle system of producing, harvesting, and providing.
With a spatial link to the LRT Sentul, pedestrian paths right beside the main road became an essential path to access. Implying the necessary programs on the inhabited bridge allows for more efficiency and convenience for the users.
The empty space of the existing open car park became part of recreational zones. The overlaying and connected programs allow different groups of the community to meet each other.
PROJECT INFO
Involvement: Entire Design Proposal
Module: Architectural Design Thesis | Master of Architecture
Location: Bandar Baru Sentul, 51000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Date: December 2023
An Experiential Place Connects People Above the Ground
done under the guidance of my supervisor, Mr. Nazmi Anuar
